King congratulates Palestinians on historic UN voteAmman, 2 December 2012

His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday congratulated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the UN General Assembly’s vote, which upgraded Palestine’s status.

King Abdullah urged Palestinians to unify their front to build on their historic achievement after the UN upgraded Palestine’s status to “non-member observer state.”

The King made the remarks during a meeting with the Palestinian president in Amman.

His Majesty said this was a strategically huge step towards establishing a sovereign Palestinian state and enabling the Palestinians to regain their legitimate rights. The King praised Abbas and the Palestinian Authority for their efforts to achieve this milestone.

The King emphasised the importance of building on the resolution and investing in it to constantly promote the Palestinian cause.

The two leaders agreed on continuing cooperation and discussions regarding future steps to ensure that the peace process gains momentum, and to renew negotiations to deal with all final status issues.

His Majesty reiterated Jordan’s position in supporting a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

The King strongly condemned Israel’s decision to continue settlement expansion, which lately spurred plans for 3,000 new settler housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, saying that such policies and procedures are strongly rejected and undermine peace efforts.

Abbas thanked His Majesty for his constant effort and support for the Palestinian cause and the Palestinians’ right to establish a sovereign state.